Do Not Punish Innocent Men in Pursuit to Women Empowerment

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I have collated some facts, which though are uncomplicatedly accessible to all of us but we hardly care for the other side of the story, after all we are pro-women. In 2013, the High Court of Delhi observed that women were using fabricated rape cases for personal crusade, harassment, extortion and forcing men to marry them. This year, a leading news house reported that two-third of total rape cases filed in Delhi in 2013 involved consenting couples, with the parents accusing male of rape. In the month of October this year, the Delhi Commission of Women released a report, which revealed that out of 2753 complaints of rape filed between April 2013 and July 2014, only 1287 were found to be genuine. Here is the most dramatic one. In 2010, the Delhi High Court overruled a man’s appeal to drop a false rape case filed against him, saying that this was to ensure that the complainant, a female police employee, is indicted for the deceitful case; the woman in the case had reached an out-of-court settlement with defendant. Same is the case with cases of dowry, and the Apex Court in 2010 directed the government to revise Section 498A of the IPC in view of rising numbers of false/ exaggerated grievances against male partners and their relatives by women. Why then the alleged accused, who never have committed such crimes, live in the state of despair since the common public regard them as deemed-guilty.

In past couple of days, I went through a number of news, but these two were where I had to stop and meditate. The first is the Human Rights Watch report which talks about overcrowded mental rehabilitation centers where women are mentally and physically abused, and a hope to escape is nil. The report is titled ‘Treated Worse than Animals’ and I would want all those craving for women empowerment to read the same once. In the second one, which is almost the most sensational news of recent times, two sisters have emerged as ‘Mardanis’, having taken a hard call on suspected eve-teasers. The act of heroism is also caught on camera and the video has gone viral. They used hands, legs and belts to make sure that what they say happened to them shall not happen to any other girl. In the present milieu, I too was moved with such bravery and for a while considered the girls as a role model, wanting other girls to learn from them a lesson on retaliation against evil. Today, when we are unhappy for crimes against women anyone who turns out to be a protestor, whether truthful or not, becomes an iconic figure. The other side of the Rohtak case is that the row was over seats and the girls can clearly be seen using foul language. Those who valued the bravery must be watchful now when another video of them thrashing a man, and fresh witnesses in the bus instance have come forward saying that the girls weren’t molested. The media also has now shifted its stand realizing the sensational twist and the ‘staged’ acts of bravery are being tested. I also could not apprehend the logic of our media which published the news of the brave-heart girls at the very first page on the first day; however now, when the contradictory to girls’ statement facts have come up, the news makes less relevance to media houses.

Now, with a few female workers at my workplace, I am a scared man. On top of this, they report to me at day’s end with tasks done, the same makes me vulnerable to cases of molestation and harassment. And I am not the only one. Men at reputable positions, be it in the corporate, politics, media, or sports, face the threat of being dragged into cases of woman assault. The mockery is, even the common ‘man’ is at the risk of being detained, beaten up, and defamed in the public, just because the groundless search for women empowerment is on. What’s wrong, hmm? Women have repeatedly been victim to domestic violence, dowry, eve-teasing and rapes. This indeed calls for empowering the woman of India, but in the pursuit of the same, haven’t we disremembered that the words empower and power are very dissimilar to one another. While empowering would mean enabling, powering someone would mean assigning someone surplus powers that may even supersede the laws of the land. Why then we treat extremists differently? They too at some point in time in history were assaulted by the society, why otherwise someone would tie a bomb around his waist and blow himself up? But this is forbidden, forbidden in every book of religion, society, politics and even our sensational media. On the contrary, ‘no questions asked’ policy is followed in case a woman allegedly beats a male who is later blamed for harassing, eve-teasing and even raping.

To the seekers of women empowerment- I am not in favor of any anti-women law or for that matter against furtherance of women. The simple notion that men and women shall be treated alike, however, is crushed when we allow a woman employ unlawful measures even in cases where justice can be realized under law. Certainly, investigation by police was the solution in the Rohtak case, not abrupt rewards to girls or debarment of the accused men from army. Isn’t it an evident suppression of justice, when only the reporting media is held as evidence and the ones truly breaching law are imprudently declared lawful? When the honorable courts of India have comprehended the abuse of women protection laws, the government should take prompt rectifying measures. The solution rests in fortifying police administration and easing the way for filing sincere grievances, and herein a man and a woman are to be considered alike. Just like law and righteousness are alike both for rich and poor, it shall be for men and women. Yes, bettering the conditions of women, deprived of basic rights is the liability of us all and has to be pursued with extravagant labors. But, in want of hasty development of our women, let us not overlook what we claim, ‘Nature has made man and woman alike.’

One thing is sure, unless we put an end to the ‘no questions asked’ rule when it comes to a female accusing a male of molesting or harassing, real enablement of women will never be attained, as a day would come when retraction would reach such heights that these complaints will not be paid heed to. Were the media reports ample to adjudge the men in the Rohtak incident guilty? When did we turn so proactive, or shall I say hasty? The real irony is that Indian laws are so contradictory that when the legalized age for sexual activity has been regarded as 18 years, obviously with mutual consent, a girl can still accuse the male of sexual annoyance even when mutual consensus and age factor are in place. What will you say about cases when a female wakes up post 5 or 10 years of alleged harassment, where at most of the occasions the real motive is to extract fiscal perks or to defame a person on instigation of his opponents? Isn’t it easy for a female to say ‘He used me under a promise to marry’ and drag the person to the misery of lifetime? Promise! Why do we need the Indian Contract Act then? Was the girl not at fault when she made it, or shall I not say ‘relishing’ with the man before marriage and in some cases even with a married man?

The loopholes of our laws are placing Indian men at risk, high risk I say, even for the male lawmakers and law protectors. Just recently, the honorable Chief Justice of India has set up a two-judge Social Justice Bench to speed up cases involving missing children and such other social evils. This move is appreciable and the man of acumen should also consider as to where we all are heading in our visionless pursuit of women enablement. How can the guiltless parents of a male be defamed and detained just because the daughter-in-law alleges that she was asked for dowry? Why are we consenting to out-of-court settlements in cases of sexual harassment and are allowing false complainants to extract their ill motives? Rape is a crime and how can such settlements render the same guiltless? What’s wrong with the Khap Panchayats then? Improving the laws by making them so stringent and by adding severe punitive clauses for filing false complaints/ retractions in cases of sexual assault is the pressing need. Media, politicians, and indeed the common man have to be wise enough while giving verdicts during such cases. Never forget that you can be at the painful end one day.

To all women- My intents for women empowerment are as pure as they should be for the sake of security of my daughter, wife, and all other women, reflection of the same are my blogs, ‘Need to Empowering Indian Women’ and ‘Women-What they deserve and what they get’ published on March 4, 2014 and June 10, 2014 respectively, but I am equally thoughtful when it comes to shielding my son, father, and other men from any illicit attacks, as evident from my blog, ‘Deemed-Guilty Before Judicial Judgment’ published on 27 September, 2014. An overlooked fact that the society needs to realize is that along with the alleged accused, women associated with that man, his wife, daughter/s, and female employees are equally punished and forced to live a miserable life. Helpless in correcting the laws of India, I still have a piece of advice for my friends- Use CCTVs at places of meet with females. Better proactive than a rapist, agree?

86 thoughts on “Do Not Punish Innocent Men in Pursuit to Women Empowerment”

  2. Chandra Sahu

    You have picked up something that demanded courage to talk about.
    Everybody is talking of women empowerment without realizing that there has to be a limit for everything.
    This cannot be at the cost of the innocent.

    Reply ↓
  3. S.K. Bhardwaj

    I cannot understand one simple thing which even you have mentioned,
    when men and women are equal then why are men arrested and
    harassed just on the complaint of a woman which in many cases is not even true.
    Why cannot a man ask for justice when a woman promises marriage but then marries someone else.

    Reply ↓
  4. Kaushal

    I can agree with you on many points like amending women related laws of India,
    but you will also have to agree that unless we are very much aggressive about strengthening women,
    no one will ever change in this male dominant society.

    Reply ↓
  5. Chandrasekharan

    Females are their own protectors and no law can substitute this.
    In the recent Delhi rape case the girl was courageous enough in complaining despite the fact that she was about to be married.
    We need pure courage from women and not any faulty attempts.

    Reply ↓
  6. M. L. Rawat

    I have seen that village rivalry is pursued by filing false cases against men with the help of women.
    In these cases the lives of these men are ruined and they have no option than to become law-breakers in future.
    This means we are building a criminal society.

    Reply ↓
  7. Akhil

    Blaming someone is very easy.
    And in cases of female molestation,
    there is no need of even evidences,
    just a statement from the girl suffices the need.
    This means that men are always at risk.
    How can the society prosper in these conditions.

    Reply ↓
  9. Raj

    This is more than a political matter and has to be looked in the same way. This is about social justice and I agree that even men at high-end profiles also fall into the grip of such cases without committing any mistake.

    Reply ↓
  10. Ashok Pratap

    The facts that you have quoted tell how grave is the problem.
    More than half of cases of rapes and dowry are fake!
    Just imagine the pain of not only the accused man but also his family,
    his parents and brothers and sisters.
    Even professional life is ruined.

    Reply ↓
  11. Dinesh

    We have to look at both sides of the coin sir.
    One thing that you are missing on is that women have been suppressed since ages and if we will not have tough laws men will never change.
    At least today men fear of committing any offense.
    This is just because they know that their lives will be ruined if they do anything wrong with a woman.

    Reply ↓
  13. Sitaram Taparia

    Dear Sir,

    I fully agree with your views. We need more and more honest thinkers like you, rather than people who just make politically correct statements (like woman empowement) or blindly follows or turns a blind eye.

    I always wondered why women have to be given special status for complaining (with no questions asked) when we tirelessly claim that they are equal to men. It is beyond comprehension as to how a “relishing” female gets right after years and after destroying family of a man.

    The problem does not seem to have a solution because there are many rogue men and there are many rogue women. As many instances reported could be true for punishing the guilty , equal numbet are false complaints where complainants should be punished.

    I read your all blogs with keen interest. As much courage you have to speak your mind, you have been blessed with art of articulating it with as much power.

    Keep writing.

    Reply ↓
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  84. Biranchi Narayan Acharya

    The society is highly polarised in favour of male. Thus there are some cases of collateral damage. Good observation & nice presentation of the argument & article

    Reply ↓
  85. Nayan Mipun

    These are also under the guise of historical oppression of women by men, so as long as historically we perceive the men oppressed women than present day discrimination against men and boys would continue because justifications that historically men oppressed women would lure people for not questioning women’s movement at all (so in the UNO), educational system need to address that historically too men and women were equally advantaged and disadvantaged

    Reply ↓
  86. Vineet Sasurkar

    Your article on women empowerment is very nice. It is very true. I would also like to add some points but they are not backed with any proof or historical documents.
    1. Indian women have always been used as an article to gift to other kings for diplomatic reasons.
    2. Used as a weapon to bring down competitors and
    3. A very less percentage are used to actually rape or harass,
    4. Still very less percentage who use their femininity to climb-up the ladder.

    Women do not have confidence to speak against the powerful people so they try to shout, cry blaming soft targets.
    This motivates flesh traders and the cyclic process goes on.

    So I think, the first step in empowering women would be to dis-empower the men who are using women for their own selfish benefits.

    And with respect to women who use their femininity to climb-up the success ladder, men need to be vigilant and true to their jobs.

    Hope I am not offending anyone and making some sense.

    Reply ↓

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